Live From The Woods 2020 Turkey Edition

[fasteddie]

Its that time of the year again! Time to start scouting for this year's birds, and the season is coming up quick! This is our 3rd year for doing this thread and its always a lot of fun! Post in this thread using your smart phone (or other device you can get to the internet with) from the woods with your thoughts, current conditions, pictures, sightings, etc.  Don't forget, the site is accessible via your mobile device and there is even an app - Tapatalk enabled!    Lets see those pics!

[BizCT]

Without further ado, I’m proud to announce that given my lack of golfing and fishing this spring, I have taken the day off from work on May 1st to hunt opening day.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[turkeyfeathers]

@reeltime

[Robhuntandfish]

1 hour ago, blackbeltbill said:

Picture of my 15lb Jake taken on 4/20/2020 in West Milford,NJ. He Gobbled just like a Longbeard. He actually does have another Tail Feather for a full Fan . Last Feather did not get smoothed out there.    I got Checked in the Parking Lot too!  I had this young Tom all Tagged up. I usually put the Carcass Tag in a License Holder and afix to a Wing.   Don't forget to Tag your Gobbler as you could be checked too! Luck out there this Spring-- Bill.

the one i shot last year on opening day was the same thing.  Jake - but he was fanned out for a hen and gobbling like crazy. 

[Pygmy]

10 minutes ago, Robhuntandfish said:

the one i shot last year on opening day was the same thing.  Jake - but he was fanned out for a hen and gobbling like crazy. 

I gave up long ago trying to tell a jake from an adult by the gobble...

Sometimes you can, but I have been fooled too many times to count on it...The birds can control the volume and intensity of the gobbles too..

I have heard numerous jakes that could gobble like a champ, and I have heard some big toms with flat, chintzy little gobbles...

[The_Real_TCIII]

I gave up long ago trying to tell a jake from an adult by the gobble...
Sometimes you can, but I have been fooled too many times to count on it...The birds can control the volume and intensity of the gobbles too..
I have heard numerous jakes that could gobble like a champ, and I have heard some big toms with flat, chintzy little gobbles...

I shoot jakes. Turkeys are just food in my eyes. I’m excited when I get a big set of hooks too but I don’t hold out for them


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[Pygmy]

7 minutes ago, The_Real_TCIII said:

I shoot jakes. Turkeys are just food in my eyes. I’m excited when I get a big set of hooks too but I don’t hold out for them


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

That's the way I feel about deer.....All those spikes and forkhorns and little sixes I happily shoot are "jakes"....Hehehe....

[Pygmy]

I have no issue with shooting jakes, I just choose not to...

I also do not consider myself a "trophy turkey hunter"... I will shoot any gobbler that is two years old or older, and the vast majority of my birds have been two year olds..

I consider a true trophy hunter someone who scouts his birds thoroughly and knows before season if a bird has good spurs and beard, because he has probably looked at them through his binos or spotting scope...This is the guy who consistently kills 3 or 4  year old gobblers( or older) that have big paintbrushes and long, sharp spurs..

We know at least one guy who does that......

[Pygmy]

56 minutes ago, blackbeltbill said:

4/22/2020--Hiked/Scouted almost 2 1/2 Hours this morning. Started out at 10.15am to keep a low Profile. Found PLENTY of Wild Turkey Sign in this Public Area. Still have to Lift Weights for the whole body later with my small home Gym Setup.  Pic coming up .

Is that in NY or NJ, Bill  ?? Do you still have more hunting in NJ before the NY season opens up  ?

In a normal year I would be heading to Ontario tomorrow to get set for the opener there April 25th....I'm really missing that

[TreeGuy]

4/22/2020--Hiked/Scouted almost 2 1/2 Hours this morning. Started out at 10.15am to keep a low Profile. Found PLENTY of Wild Turkey Sign in this Public Area. Still have to Lift Weights for the whole body later with my small home Gym Setup.  Pic coming up .

Billy. Beyond disapointed in you. These are the times you need to have your MAGA hat .....

Sent from my LM-V405 using Tapatalk

[Pygmy]

7 minutes ago, TreeGuy said:

Billy. Beyond disapointed in you. These are the times you need to have your MAGA hat .....

Sent from my LM-V405 using Tapatalk
 

I was just going to give Bill a THUMBS UP  for losing so much weight since his last picture...

[reeltime]

got out at first light and heard some gobbles, back to camp ate and we went back out to sight scout at 8 am and saw a decent number of gobblers and a silly amount of jakes.

back to camp and spent 6 hours on the backhoe repairing flood damage to my driveway and then it was off for an afternoon scouting trip and more jakes and a couple new gobblers found.  2 of which are certainly on the late season list, 

just came in from outside and heard 1 gobbler down the hollow from camp so we will see how scouting goes in the morning but I would guess its going to be cold again.

 

[Lawdwaz]

PA Youth Hunt this weekend along with NYS? (I'm tired enough to not want to Google it)

[reeltime]

52 minutes ago, Lawdwaz said:

PA Youth Hunt this weekend along with NYS? (I'm tired enough to not want to Google it)

yup every year, going to hunt here saturday then hustle gavin back so I can try to get a bird in ny on sunday

gonna have our 2 grandkids and my buddy with his daughter here at camp for saturday.  2 girls ages 8 and 10 and gavin is 13 so it should be fun.

 

[TreeGuy]

HA- Hey there Andrew. Luck this Spring to you.

Luck is for leprachauns !

I am not devout like you billy,but, as I do every year, aspire to knock a long beard down. Like one of these fellas

Sent from my LM-V405 using Tapatalk

[mowin]

1 hour ago, Lawdwaz said:

PA Youth Hunt this weekend along with NYS? (I'm tired enough to not want to Google it)

Yep.  NY youth weekend coming up.  

No youth for me this year. Getting up anyway and going out to get a fix on the limb those long beards are wrapping there feet around.  I'll set up accordingly. 

[Pygmy]

37 minutes ago, mowin said:

Yep.  NY youth weekend coming up.  

No youth for me this year. Getting up anyway and going out to get a fix on the limb those long beards are wrapping there feet around.  I'll set up accordingly. 

Me too...I was hoping to have a youth hunter this year, and had a couple lined up, but the damned  Cornhola Virus  nixed it...

I'll still be on the property this weekend listening and looking...I have that cute little Moog guy coming down to try to lose his turkey cherry with me this season...

[The_Real_TCIII]

Me too...I was hoping to have a youth hunter this year, and had a couple lined up, but the damned  Cornhola Virus  nixed it...
I'll still be on the property this weekend listening and looking...I have that cute little Moog guy coming down to try to lose his turkey cherry with me this season...

I shaved my beard off, can I hunt with you Saturday??


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[Pygmy]

17 minutes ago, The_Real_TCIII said:

I shaved my beard off, can I hunt with you Saturday??


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Sure...wear your camo knickers and camo beanie with the propeller on it...

If the fish cops stop us, I'll tell them that that you are my 13 year old nephew, Wentworth....

[Pygmy]

I'll just tell them that you're from the TALL side of the family....

[reeltime]

Lots of gobbling this morning and almost all the birds hit the field after fly down to dry off after the rain shower we had at 1am.
Back to camp to check patterns.

Pic 1 my 20 ga. Addison uses 35 yds she shoots for the head heavyweight 7

Pic 2 gavin's 20ga. 35yds gavin likes to neck shoot them. Tss 7

Pic 3 my 12 at 40 yards tss 7

Guess we r good to go. Now just to really dial in a couple birds and wait for saturday.

Sent from my SM-G930VL using Tapatalk

[ApexerER]

I have never taken Turkey hunting seriously and have only gone a couple times....This year I am all in....

Saturday - I went to a farm some friends of my parents own. Apparently they told my parents along time ago I could hunt there but my parents told them, nah, he has a lease. They were talking about their friends and I happened to ask if anyone hunts there and they said no but they said you can.....Would have been nice to know a long time ago...Lease, at least 45 minutes from my house, this farm is 10 minutes. 

So I walked the land which is all fields and hedge rows and there were 5 hens and two strutters in the back field when I entered the field. They quickly exited but it was exciting to see them. I went back last night and set a blind up on the back edge of their property where it transitions to woods and where the Turkeys entered when they ran out of the field.

Sunday - I met one of my buddies at 5 am at the lease. He Turkey hunts every year and is going to show me the ropes. We did a lot of walking and owl hooting. The turkeys were gobbling like crazy. We heard at least 8-10 different gobblers. It was really cool to hear and got me jacked. We then patterned my shotgun and spent a couple hours shooting clays....

My buddy is going to hunt with me Sunday 5/3 on the lease which is the first day he will be able to get out. I am looking forward to learning from him. 

Friday and Saturday I will be on my own and plan to sit on the farm I got permission to hunt on.....

[ATbuckhunter]

6 minutes ago, ApexerER said:

I have never taken Turkey hunting seriously and have only gone a couple times....This year I am all in....

Saturday - I went to a farm some friends of my parents own. Apparently they told my parents along time ago I could hunt there but my parents told them, nah, he has a lease. They were talking about their friends and I happened to ask if anyone hunts there and they said no but they said you can.....Would have been nice to know a long time ago...Lease, at least 45 minutes from my house, this farm is 10 minutes. 

So I walked the land which is all fields and hedge rows and there were 5 hens and two strutters in the back field when I entered the field. They quickly exited but it was exciting to see them. I went back last night and set a blind up on the back edge of their property where it transitions to woods and where the Turkeys entered when they ran out of the field.

Sunday - I met one of my buddies at 5 am at the lease. He Turkey hunts every year and is going to show me the ropes. We did a lot of walking and owl hooting. The turkeys were gobbling like crazy. We heard at least 8-10 different gobblers. It was really cool to hear and got me jacked. We then patterned my shotgun and spent a couple hours shooting clays....

My buddy is going to hunt with me Sunday 5/3 on the lease which is the first day he will be able to get out. I am looking forward to learning from him. 

Friday and Saturday I will be on my own and plan to sit on the farm I got permission to hunt on.....

Nice! Sounds like a good place to be come opening morning! I would kill to be able to hunt 10 min from the house 

[BizCT]

Let’s effing go!

Undecided gun or bow for 5/1, but I’ll be out there


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[crappyice]

Let’s effing go!

Undecided gun or bow for 5/1, but I’ll be out there


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

You are getting a little too use to the life of WNY...ummm...quarantine!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk